God Save the King!

Comprising of more than100 objects and over 23,000 gemstones, the crown jewels are priceless. They have been protected by the Tower of London and its communities since the 1660’s.

The diamond in the sceptre was cut from the original Cullinan diamond, an astonishing 3,105 carat stone that was mined outside Pretoria, South Africa. The Cullinan II, a stone cut from this, was placed in the Imperial State Crown which is still used in Royal occasions such as King Charles III Coronation.

The large red stone in the Crown is known as the Black Princes Ruby. It was first recorded in the 14th century and came into the hands of the British Royal family in the 15th century. Despite its name, the Black Princes Ruby is also known as the Great Imposter because surprisingly, it is not a ruby! It is in fact a blood-red uncut spinel and was named after Edward of Woodstock who was also known as the Black Prince.

Among these famous gemstones also lays the Stuart Sapphire, which was named by the Stuarts due to their love of the 104 carat stone. It has a small drill hole at one end potentially leading to it being worn as a pendant.

Just like the royal family, the items making up the Crown Jewels are rich in history. Poor King Charles, he literally has a weight on his head, the crown weighs 2.23kg (4.91lbs)!